Venezuela political prisoners ‘revolt’ at Caracas jail

Relatives of political prisoners held in one of Venezuela's most notorious prisons say the inmates have staged an uprising.

Inmates held at EL Helicoide, the headquarters of Venezuela's secret service, say they took over part of its cell blocks.

They say they did so after a political prisoner was beaten.

More than 300 political prisoners are being held in Venezuela, according to pressure group Foro Penal.

Swollen face

There is no official information about what happened at the Helicoide, the massive former shopping centre in central Caracas which houses Venezuela's secret service (Sebin).

But people with close links to the political prisoners held there said the uprising had started after Gregory Sanabria was beaten up, allegedly by a non-political prisoner.

Read more:

The Sebin cells hold more than 300 inmates, with political prisoners and people accused of ordinary crimes locked up alongside each other.

Photos on social media show the swollen face of Mr Sanabria, a student held in El Helicoide pending trial ever since he took part in mass anti-government protest in 2014.

According to Patricia Ceballos, whose husband Daniel is one of the political prisoners inside El Helicoide, the beating triggered a protest which was met with tear gas by the National Guard and riot police.

Mr Ceballos, the former opposition mayor of the western city of San Cristóbal, said the inmates had taken control of parts of the jail.

'I need help'

"They're outside, they're trying to break in, they're saying they're going to kill me," the 26-year-old said as shouts could be heard.

In a second video he addressed his compatriots directly, asking them to help free him.

The US embassy in Caracas tweeted that it was "very worried about the rebellion".

"Joshua Holt and other US citizens are in danger," it said in a tweet in Spanish. "The Venezuelan government is directly responsible for their security and we will hold them responsible if anything happens to them."

Political prisoners have long been complaining about the conditions they are held in and pressure groups inside Venezuela as well as abroad have called on the government of President Nicolás Maduro to free them but so far this has had little impact.